I finished my first Hunger Games rewatch in quite some time (it used to be an annual thing) and it made me realize just how much I ripped off of it for my books. It's blatant plagiarism and honestly it shocks me to my core that more people haven't noticed or called it out.

I fell in love with the idea of a functioning dysoptia at some point and while obviously Panem is not functioning, my world got its dystopian flavor from it. I also re-read The Hunger Games series to help myself structure a trilogy, because the plotting really is just so good. Also some of the more weird and random side character names came from the naming vibe in The Hunger Games (which I now hate and wouldn't do again but alas).

But for more specific examples.

The Book of Secrets

This book was far more childhood play and Wingfeather Saga (which I read right in the middle of rewrites) than anything else but the Hunger Games still snuck in.

—Ren is Katniss. I will not be taking questions at the end.

—In chapter 5, Olive Pendragon tells the kids, "Run as fast as you can. Buy yourself another day." This came from the lyrics of "Kingdom Come" by the Civil Wars, a song on the Hunger Games soundtrack. Run, run, far away, buy yourself another day...run fast as you can, no one has to understand.

—The food in the West March is straight out of the Capitol.

—Elowyn's grandmother is named Madge because of Madge in the books. Winter is somewhat inspired by Effie, but really she's just a renamed version of our favorite childhood character who coincidentally was a lot like Effie.

Other influences for this book:

The Once and Future King inspired some castle scenes (most of which were cut, however).

The boys prowling about the castle in chapter 16 came from the exploration of the castle folley in The Kneebone Boy.

The nighthags are a combination ringwraith and dementor, but the scenes of the nighthag chases are all Middle-Earth.

The whole part with Kesper and his house came from the scene of Luna's dad in The Deathly Hallows.

Nullians and the interim king scandal were childhood games, and the more lighthearted tone of this book was seasoned by Wingfeather.

Warden of the West March

I haven't read my books at all since I finished editing, but I think it would be my favorite now. It's also just a fanfiction of Catching Fire. I have absolutely no idea how I wasn't called out on this.

—The forced marriage idea partially came from Katniss and Peeta's fake relationship but mine is a lot different because I didn't develop the other involved party at all (I literally don't remember his name) and nothing became of it.

—My faceclaim for Boone is the boy in Mockingjay (the movie) who stood up in the hospital in District 8 and said, "Are you going to fight with us" or something to that effect. This is so random but nonetheless true. Cora looks like Rue.

—The political climate, the growing rebellion turning into fullscale war, this is literally just Catching Fire in too many little ways to describe.

—Again, the food.

—Elowyn drinks with Edem because Katniss drinks with Haymitch after the Quarter Quell announcement.

—On that note, Edem was slightly inspired by Haymitch.

—The Dravens got more slice of life moments because we got more of the same in Catching Fire, like when Katniss shows Gale the old abadoned cabin she used to play in.

—Elowyn's friendship tour came from the Victor's Tour, and when Elowyn sees the flame on the tunnel wall, that's a complete ripoff of Katniss and Peeta spotting the Mockingjay.

—The ball for Elowyn's engagement was inspired by the party at Snow's mansion.

—Elowyn shoots a goblet out of Kai's hand because Katniss shot the apple from the pig's mouth, of course, and I know it sounds impossible but I did consult my archer friend about shooting an arrow into glass and we worked out this scene together.

—Elowyn becomes somewhat of a rousing speechmaker in this book because Katniss becomes the same.

—Gabriel probably kills Conrad because Katniss kills Coin. My twist is less shocking, but I'm sure that was my influence.

—"Because Conrad killed Caine, because he thought he killed Legion, but Edem killed Legion, because Legion killed Gideon, but Edem tried to kill Conrad...it goes around and around and around..." This is pretty much the exact dialogue from a scene in Mockingjay and I just changed the names.

Other influences (there are a lot):
1. Sortilego is just an alternative version of that greasy guy in Rohirrim. This was intentional and I made no attempt to hide the fact.

2. Hollis's pure faith reminds me of Lucy now that I am in a Narnia re-read but Narnia was so far gone from my immediate memory or consciousness while I was writing these books; I think she was still in my heart and got through without me realizing.

3. Hollis finds the stone in a fish's mouth because of Matthew 17.

4. The notice about protecting yourself in times of war came from the similar notice in Harry Potter (I don't remember which book, either 6 or 7 I think).

5. I got the idea of the Storm Kings and their tattoo from the Death Eaters but they don't have much in common, and I got their appearance from the Ku Klux Klan because they terrified me as a child, I REALLY AM SORRY OKAY.

6. Leaflets fall onto the castle grounds in chapter 15 because of the leaflets that fell on Japan in WWII right before the bombs, which scared the everloving #%$ out of me when I first read about it for some reason.

Third Winter's War

—Thread, who is barely in the book, looks like Commander Paylor.

—Crazy Gideon is kind of taken from Crazy Peeta, as is how Elowyn uses memories to bring him back.

—When Ren admits to losing Patch in chapter 9, I imagine like Katniss in the movie where she admits she made up the mission, resulting in so many deaths. This is almost glossed over in the book, but in the movie you can see that guilt ripping her apart. I drew on that for this scene.

—Berk (capitol of Bellica) looks like the war-torn version of Panem's Capitol, which coincidentally looks like the Soviet Bloc.

—When they hide out in a fancy Berk apartment and rummage for food there, I got the idea from when Squad 451 does the same in the Capitol.

—Ren attacks Edem for letting Hollis "die" just like Katniss attacks Haymitch for letting Peeta get captured. To a lesser extent, when Dale is trying to comfort her immediately after and she cuts him off with hopeless words, I kind of got that from when Finnick is trying to comfort Katniss about their captured loved ones and her reply makes him cry but she doesn't care. I don't remember that part well but it was a vague influence.

—Dale telling the girls, "Whatever world I see you in next, it will be better than this one," came from Peeta telling Katniss, "If I see you again, we'll be in a different world."

—Ren chopping off her hair and everything right before her breakdown came feom Katniss doing the exact same thing.

Other influences:

I got Ren's helmet thing from when Sam and Frodo wear orc helmets to sneak into Mordor.

Ren waking up deaf was inspired by the scene in the movie Wonderstruck.

Berk is named after How to Train Your Dragon.

I actually got Maple's death (and even Ren and Hollis's relationship arc to a degree) from a pretty obscure, sad, gorgeous children's book called Each Little Bird that Sings.

The falling stars were inspired by my favorite Pixar short, Luna.

—When Hollis finds Patch on the beach, I had Pippin finding Merry on the battlefield in my heart.

—Gideon's death scene was inspired by Theoden's even if it doesn't mimic it that much. Real Gideon, who we honestly never got to see, looked and acted a lot like Theoden.

I'm sure there are more influences but that's all I can think of right now. I won't apologize for all the ripoffs because I love how the stories that raised me and live in my heart forever are within the pages of my books, too. And The Hunger Games in particular will always have a special place and I'll always remember how it felt to love something so much and be so hungover when it ended and to feel so much beauty out of so much pain, when I was younger and had more time and more space for such things.